Survey & Inspection Glossary

A photograph that captures a full spherical or equirectangular view from a single point, recording every direction simultaneously and allowing the viewer to look in any direction within the image.

A drawing that records the structure or building as it was actually constructed, including any modifications made during construction, rather than as it was originally designed.

A digital process for creating and managing information about a building throughout its lifecycle, using a shared 3D model that contains geometric and data attributes for all building elements.

A comprehensive inspection of a property covering all accessible elements, including structure, envelope, services, and finishes, typically commissioned before purchase or to inform a maintenance programme.

A professional specialising in the condition, performance, and maintenance of buildings, providing services including condition surveys, dilapidations advice, defect diagnosis, and project management of refurbishment works.

A specialised inspection of a building's external cladding system to assess the condition of panels, fixings, sealants, and the substrate, identifying delamination, water ingress risk, and potential fire safety concerns.

A chemical process in which atmospheric carbon dioxide reacts with hydration products in hardened concrete, reducing its alkalinity and eventually removing the protective passivation layer from embedded reinforcement.

A numerical or categorical score assigned to a building element or asset to describe its current physical state, typically used in condition surveys to communicate deterioration level and prioritise maintenance.

A systematic inspection of a building or structure to assess its physical state, identify defects, and provide a basis for maintenance planning, legal documentation, or investment decisions.

The practice of capturing, organising, and reporting jobsite photographs as structured project evidence — often with GPS tags, annotations, and links to tasks, defects, or floor plan locations.

A drawing or plan on which identified defects are marked at their precise locations, providing a spatial record of the distribution and nature of deterioration across a building or structure.

The separation of layers within a composite material or the detachment of a surface coating, render, or cladding panel from its substrate, without necessarily breaking away entirely.

A dynamic digital replica of a physical asset that is continuously updated with real-world data, allowing the asset to be monitored, analysed, and simulated without physical intervention.

An inspection conducted at or near the end of a commercial lease to assess the tenant's liability for repairs, reinstatement, and redecoration obligations under the terms of the lease.

An aerial inspection technique using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to capture photographs, video, or sensor data from positions inaccessible or impractical to reach with conventional access methods.

A rectangular image format that represents a complete spherical view by mapping longitude to horizontal position and latitude to vertical position, used as the standard output format for 360° cameras.

A systematic inspection of the external envelope of a building to assess the condition of cladding, glazing, masonry, sealants, and fixings, often required periodically for buildings above a certain height.

Digital tools for scheduling, conducting, and recording building and asset inspections across a facilities portfolio — replacing paper checklists with mobile capture, audit trails, and often CMMS integration.

The professional discipline responsible for ensuring buildings and their services function efficiently and safely, encompassing maintenance, operations, health and safety, space management, and asset lifecycle planning.

Passive fire protection measures installed within service penetrations, junctions, and cavities to prevent the spread of fire and smoke between fire compartments in a building.

A scaled drawing showing the layout of a single floor of a building as seen from above, indicating the position of walls, columns, rooms, openings, and structural elements.

A site investigation method that involves physical opening up of building elements — removing finishes, drilling cores, or excavating — to inspect or sample materials that cannot be assessed visually.

A survey that records the precise dimensions of a building or space, producing dimensionally accurate drawings that reflect existing conditions rather than design intent.

A deliberate discontinuity built into a structure or building element to accommodate thermal, moisture-induced, or structural movement without causing cracking or damage to adjacent elements.

The technique of extracting three-dimensional measurements and spatial data from overlapping photographs, used to create accurate 3D models, point clouds, and georeferenced orthophotos of buildings and structures.

A systematic site inspection in which photographs are taken at defined locations to record the physical condition of a building or structure for documentation, reporting, or monitoring purposes.

A maintenance strategy in which building elements and services are inspected and serviced at scheduled intervals to prevent failure and extend service life, rather than waiting for failure to occur.

A set of data points in three-dimensional space representing the surface geometry of an object or environment, typically captured by laser scanning or photogrammetry, used as the basis for as-built models and dimensional analysis.

A reinforced concrete floor slab in which high-strength steel tendons are tensioned after the concrete has cured, compressing the slab to increase its span capability and reduce thickness.

An inspection of a property commissioned by a prospective purchaser or investor before completing a transaction, to assess physical condition, identify material defects, and inform price negotiations.

A North American construction term for the formal list of defects, incomplete items, and specification shortfalls identified before project closeout — equivalent to a snag list in UK practice.

The oxidation of steel reinforcing bars within concrete, driven by loss of the protective alkaline environment through carbonation or chloride ingress, leading to expansive corrosion products that crack and spall the cover concrete.

An inspection of a building's roof covering, drainage, penetrations, and associated elements to assess weathertightness, structural condition, and maintenance requirements.

A document prepared at the start of a lease that records the existing condition of a property, used as a baseline to limit the tenant's repairing obligations at the end of the tenancy.

A formal document summarising findings from an on-site inspection, typically including photographs, condition ratings, locations, and recommendations — used for compliance, handover, surveys, and dispute resolution.

A list of defects, incomplete works, or items not meeting specification identified during a final inspection of a construction project, typically compiled before practical completion.

The process of identifying and recording defects or incomplete works in a newly constructed or refurbished building, typically conducted just before or after practical completion.

The breaking away of fragments from the surface of concrete, masonry, or stone, typically caused by corrosion of embedded reinforcement, freeze-thaw cycles, or impact.

The practice of recording site observations, photographs, or data in a way that preserves their precise location within a building or structure, enabling reviewers to understand both what was observed and where.

A professional engineer specialising in the analysis, design, and assessment of structures that must safely resist loads — including buildings, bridges, towers, and other load-bearing systems.

An assessment of the load-bearing elements of a building or structure — foundations, columns, beams, slabs, and connections — to evaluate their condition, capacity, and integrity.

An inspection technique that uses infrared cameras to detect and visualise surface temperature variations on building elements, revealing hidden moisture, air leakage, insulation defects, and electrical anomalies.